tags: [] - coffee/tasting - coffee/education aliases: - Coffee profile - Flavour profile - Cup character

Cup Profile¶

Overview¶

A cup profile is a structured description of the sensory characteristics of a brewed coffee — encompassing aroma, flavour, acidity, body, sweetness, and aftertaste — that communicates the overall character of a specific coffee to buyers, roasters, or consumers. Cup profiles are generated through cupping (standardised sensory evaluation) or informal tasting and serve as the primary language through which coffee quality, origin character, and processing influence are communicated across the supply chain. A well-constructed cup profile gives a reader an accurate expectation of what a coffee will taste and feel like in the cup.

Components of a Cup Profile¶

Fragrance and Aroma¶

Fragrance refers to the smell of dry ground coffee before water is added; aroma refers to the smell of the wet coffee after water contact. Both are evaluated in SCA cupping protocol because different volatile compounds are released at each stage.

Common aroma descriptors: floral, fruity, nutty, caramel, spice, herbal, roasted, earthy.

Flavour¶

Flavour is the combined retronasal (in-mouth) aromatic and taste perception — the primary descriptor set for cup profile. Flavour descriptors reference the SCA Flavour Wheel and WCR Sensory Lexicon: - Fruity: Citrus (lemon, orange, grapefruit), Berry (blueberry, raspberry, blackcurrant), Stone fruit (peach, apricot, cherry), Tropical (mango, pineapple, passion fruit) - Sweet: Caramel, brown sugar, honey, chocolate, vanilla - Nutty/Cocoa: Almond, hazelnut, dark chocolate, milk chocolate - Floral: Jasmine, rose, elderflower, chamomile - Spice: Black pepper, clove, cinnamon - Roasted: Tobacco, cedar, toasted bread, dark chocolate (high-roast)

Acidity¶

Acidity (or brightness) is the perceived liveliness or tartness of the coffee, primarily driven by organic acid composition (citric, malic, phosphoric, tartaric acids). Acidity is evaluated for: - Quality: Is it pleasant (bright, lively, sparkling) or unpleasant (sharp, harsh, fermented)? - Intensity: Mild, medium, high - Character: Citric (lemon-like), malic (apple-like), phosphoric (clean mineral), tartaric (wine-like)

Body¶

Body is the tactile weight and viscosity of the coffee in the mouth — the sensation of fullness or richness. Influenced by dissolved solids, oils, and fine particles. Typically described as: watery, light, medium, full, heavy.

Sweetness¶

Perceived sweetness in coffee comes from residual sugars, Maillard reaction products, and fruit-derived compounds. Sweetness is evaluated as: absent, low, medium, high. High sweetness is a positive quality indicator associated with well-ripened cherries and clean processing.

Aftertaste¶

The sensory experience persisting after swallowing. Assessed for: - Length: Short, medium, long - Quality: Clean, pleasant, complex (positive); bitter, astringent, sour, empty (negative)

Balance¶

Balance is the overall harmony between acidity, sweetness, body, and flavour — the degree to which no single element dominates unpleasantly. High balance is a quality indicator.

Cup Profile by Origin¶

Cup profiles are strongly influenced by growing origin, variety, altitude, and processing method. Common origin profile tendencies:

Origin	Typical cup profile tendency
Ethiopia (Yirgacheffe, washed)	Floral (jasmine), bright citric acidity, tea-like body, stone fruit
Ethiopia (Sidama, natural)	Berry (blueberry), full body, wine-like, chocolate
Kenya (SL28/SL34, washed)	Blackcurrant, tomato, bright phosphoric acidity, full body
Colombia (Huila, washed)	Red apple, caramel, balanced, medium body
Guatemala (Antigua, washed)	Dark chocolate, nutty, mild citric acidity, full body
Brazil (natural)	Chocolate, nuts, low acidity, full body, mild
Panama (Gesha, washed)	Jasmine, bergamot, peach, exceptionally delicate

These are tendencies, not guarantees — variety, processing, altitude, and roast degree all modify the result.

Cup Profile in Trade and Marketing¶

Cup profiles appear in: - Green coffee offerings (importers publish sample roast profiles for buyer evaluation) - Retail packaging (roasters communicate expected flavours to consumers) - Competition judging (Cup of Excellence, SCA competitions use standardised score sheets) - Wholesale communications (roasters describe coffees to café buyers)

The SCA cupping score sheet provides a structured format for generating cup profiles numerically (scored attributes summing to a 100-point scale).

Key Facts¶

A cup profile describes the sensory character of a coffee: fragrance, aroma, flavour, acidity, body, sweetness, aftertaste, and balance
Descriptors reference the SCA Flavour Wheel and WCR Sensory Lexicon for standardised communication
Origin, variety, altitude, and processing method are the primary drivers of cup profile character
Acidity (brightness) is evaluated for both intensity and quality; high-quality acidity is described as bright or lively
Balance — the harmony of all attributes — is a key positive quality indicator in cupping assessment
Cup profiles appear on green coffee offerings, retail packaging, competition score sheets, and wholesale documentation

References¶

Changelog¶

Date	Change
2026-04-28	Note created

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